To work in harmony with a horse takes innate skill and ability. To understand its mind is a gift bestowed to few. Mick Connolly, local horse trainer and clinician, takes great pride in his ability to respect and understand the horses he has built a successful career upon. He sat down with Danielle Wilcock to discuss his life and business journey, while offering a rare insight to the work he does and the approach he believes is effective to work with an animal of such beauty, strength and capability. Picture: Danielle Wilcock
MICK Connolly’s story begins in Nichols Point.
He was born to a mother and father both heavily involved in the working and showing of horses.
“As child I was always interested in horses. My mother was a great horsewoman, she did showjumping,” he says.
“My dad had trotters, he used to race a bit but I got my passion for horses mostly from my mum.
“I had a couple of ponies. I’d ride a pony to primary school and tie it up at the channel until it was time to go home.”
Shortly after completing Grade 6, his family relocated to a property on the Darling River.
After leaving school in year 10, Mick got a job locally working as a station hand.
“I worked at a couple of properties around the area then moved up to a sheep and cattle property in Ivanhoe, NSW, for a couple of years,” he says.
“There were horses there that I started to work with.
“I then moved over to SA working on a cattle station, where motorbikes and horses were used. I preferred to work with the horses so I did all of the horse working and started to break in horses.
“I learnt to train the horses by watching others, it was a bit of trial and error to begin with.”
Between 1982 and 1988, Mick moved onto a mobile stockcamp in South Australia, that spanned over 3 million acres, taking on a role as the camp’s horse stockman.
“There were about six of us, we moved around and camped out in swags.
“I was responsible for all the horses. I would make sure they were fed and at night I’d stay awake listening for them.
“The horses would be let out to feed but one always had a bell, when the bell went out of earshot I’d get on my night horse, and go locate the horses,” he explains.
During his time on the mobile stock camp, Mick gained skills in horse breaking, training and husbandry.
“When we went back to the station I’d work with the horses,” he says.
“There were 300 mares and a few different stallions, they bread the colts that I would then break in to work the cattle,” he says.
Mick’s need for a seachange saw him return to the area in the late 80’s to work on a property in Menindee.
From there he moved to South Merbein where he married and raised his two girls, Danielle and Hannah.
Mick finally decided to utilise his knowledge and horse training skills to set up his own business.
In 1998 he held his first clinic at the family home in Yelta.
“I had a fulltime job but I would work until dark doing the breaking and training of horses,” he says.
Despite having already worked with horses for many years, it can be argued that his horsemanship journey hadn’t truly begun until he attended a clinic in Cobram 20 years ago.
The clinic was taken by the late American horseman, Ray Hunt.
“I saw how Ray worked with a horse. It was a turning point for me, it changed my entire perspective and view of how to handle horses,” Mick says.
“I came home with many new ideas; I studied and watched videos on it all.
“I used what I saw and developed my own style of training and also teaching.”
In order to be inclusive of the human world, a world that is foreign to them, horses must be fundamentally trained. From here they can be taught
in certain disciplines such a racing, camp drafting, show jumping and dressage.
But like humans, horses think and they feel, they are complex and have unique personalities.
“Before anything can be done with a horse, they must be educated the basics, it’s like a child at school,” Mick says.
“The handling and the groundwork that needs to be done before riding is paramount to their development.”
There are ways and means of training a horse and Mick is without question an excellent and effective trainer.
His developed approach and natural ability has culminated in years of successful horsemanship but it’s his honesty and integrity means a lot to him.
“Sometimes I have to be honest with people about their horses. I tell them if they’re not suitable for them,” he says.
“This might mean I get less clients than others but I believe that it’s only fair to be open with people about their horses.
Watching Mick work with a horse is quite remarkable.
To witness a horse want to be with him, want to work with him and to willingly follow without force is quite remarkable.
What must be understood is that the relationship between horse and human is in no way natural, despite the term natural horsemanship being used often.
“To work with a horse is not natural to them or us. We have brought them into our world and expect them just to conform,” he says.
“It’s all about patience. You must be aware that where you start one day may not be where you begin the following day.”
Mick’s approach to the horses he works is devoid of authority or superiority, there’s no assertion of power, there is definitely no cruelty or control. Mick’s gentle and thorough ways allow for the building of a respectful bond between human and horse.
“You can show the horse the right way, by making the right thing easy and wrong thing difficult,” Mick explains.
“It’s not about being cruel, it’s about building respect.”
In being there for the horse, in giving it the tools to make the right decisions, you will be surprised to learn how they take this on and start give in return.
Mick says: “You must feel and provide release for the right behaviour, the horse learns to continue to give this.
“The horse begins to learn that your idea is his idea.
“But in doing so they also need to be allowed to be a horse,” he adds.
Mick now runs his business; Mick Connolly Horsemanship, out of a Coomealla property he shares with his partner Sonia Barnes.
Sonia describes the work Mick as “poetry in motion”.
They share a passion for horses, something that’s paved the way for a successful partnership. Sonia champions the work he does, frequently travelling interstate to the clinics Mick holds.
Mick’s aspirations for the future include more local and interstate clinics. He enjoys most educating others and especially the future generations.
“I love working with children as they’re the ones who will hopefully grow up and continue these ways,” he says.
“At a clinic in regional NSW, one boy had been brought by his parents. He didn’t listen and didn’t want to be there. After speaking to him and spending time with him, he started to want to learn.
“After the two day clinic, the station held a gymkana where he really excelled, it was special to see!
“I am very lucky to do what I do, I worked from the bottom to now working full time with horses. As long as I can continue the work I do I’ll be a happy man.”
